Chasing Sunrise

Thirteen

"It is your birthday, right?" Cassie asked.

"Yeah, thanks. You okay? Can I turn a light on?" I reached for the light switch.

"I'm okay," she said. "I'm more than okay."

"All right," I said. "I'm gonna turn this light on."

"Liana, please respect the fact that this is my house."

I withdrew my hand. "Yeah, sure. Um... I'll go to my room?"

"And I told you that you didn't have to check in with me!"

"Okay. I'm sorry."

"Will you just get out of here? I have a pounding headache."

"Okay..." I wasn't sure what else to say, so I went to my room and shut the door behind me, wondering how I would get dinner tonight. I didn't want to lie down to sleep while I was hungry. While I didn't know for a fact that this would make it harder to fight my vampirism, I didn't want to take any chances.

By opening my door a crack and peering out, I saw that Cassie was still there. "Can I get food?" I asked.

With an angry huff she stood up, knocking her chair over onto the floor, shot me a baleful look, and stalked off downstairs.

I was trying not to annoy her, but how could I avoid essential things like eating?

There were no leftovers in the fridge, which was a little odd because there'd been quite a bit left over yesterday. I poured myself a bowl of cereal, but I was worried I'd be hungry again in five minutes, so I toasted some Pop Tarts too, then I retreated into my room with my food so that I'd be out of the way if Cassie came back upstairs.

It was hard to just sit and eat, though. I wondered if my aunt was okay, or if I should call her therapist. Nevertheless, I made myself finish my cereal and half a Pop Tart before I went to the kitchen landing and called down, "Aunt Cassie?"

"What, Liana?" she snapped.

"Nothing. I just wondered—"

"Do not ask me if I'm okay."

Well, that didn't leave me with anything to ask her, so I hesitated a moment, then retreated, aware that I'd just made her more annoyed, but unsure of what to do about it.

Back in my room, I was at loose ends, but I knew if I stayed up and worried, I'd only risk turning vamp in the night, so I changed to my pajamas and didn't bother with brushing my teeth, because I had to go downstairs to the bathroom to do that and suspected that would only annoy her.

Tucking myself in bed, I shut my eyes and did my best to zone out.

Happy birthday to me. I was eighteen now, an adult. It was the birthday people usually celebrated the most, but mine had passed without so much as a lit candle or cupcake.

Or a phone call from my dad... If he were alive, he'd have woken me up with a call and said, "Many happy returns, Liana! You got time today to Skype?" He would have wanted to go over my financial accounts and reiterate the plan for what funds to use for college and whether or not I wanted to buy a place in New Jersey to live. He would have treated me with the businesslike air of a trusted advisor, rather than the gushing protectiveness of a doting father, but that was how my dad was, and the usual pang in my chest intensified until it felt like a stab wound.

Tears dripped onto my pillow while I forced myself to relax and let go into unconsciousness.

*

Corban's chuckle cut across my thoughts and I jolted awake, eager to see him, but the room was empty. I sat up.

"Corban?" I rasped.